Tsunade's Last Resort
by Arruby
Summary: In a series of attacks by the Akatsuki, Tsunade sends Naruto and Sakura into another world- where his is just a manga comic. Now, plagued by the Akatsuki, they must rely on the help of a narutard and her friends until they can get back home. NON-ROMANCE.
1. Chapter 1: The Announcement

RAWR! Mah first story/fanfic… thingy. REVIEW (Or rate… or whatever it is you do on here. X3)

Just to let you know, this is how it is in Konoha-

Akatsuki are plaguing the Hidden Leaf with a series of attacks in frenzied attempts to capture Naruto. Konoha is holding strong, but many ninja are dying, and Tsunade is resorting to desperate measures.

I do not own Naruto, or any other stories, TV shows, comics, music, or whatever mentioned in this fanfic. This is purely for fun.

Tank you and have a nice day!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Tsunade-sama, the hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, rubbed her tired eyes. The fierce battle with the Akatsuki, the most recent of many, had jarred Konoha to its very core. The village was still holding up, of course, but for how long?

She lifted her head as her keen ears detected muffled footsteps from behind the wooden door of her office. "Come in." She watched as the two appointed guards in her office shifted their positions so they were standing nearer to the door, but out of sight. Their kunai were held at an angle, ready to act at a moment's notice.

The door opened. A spiky blonde head protruded from the outside, followed with a tired looking face. Tsunade felt a slight pang. Even happy-go-lucky Naruto couldn't remain the imbecile he was under these extreme circumstances. Sakura followed close behind, and then Kakashi.

"I've called you three together for an important meeting." Tsunade stated, gesturing for her guards to exit. They hesitated. "Go!" she snapped impatiently. "I'm sure that Kakashi and his students are trustworthy." "Y-yes, Tsunade-sama!" They scrambled for the door. Tsunade was not in a good mood these days, and it wasn't a good idea to provoke her while she was this tired.

"The situation's getting bad." Tsunade stated. "Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi. I don't think Konoha can hold off the Akatsuki for much longer. No matter how many times we fend them off, they just keep coming back. Even with our most skilled ninja tracking them down, there is little hope. They're determined to get to you, Naruto. I can't think of any solution, except…"

"NO!" Sakura pounded her fist onto Tsunade's desk, not caring how this would provoke her. "Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, you can't surrender Naruto to them! You just can't!" "Can't? Who says I can't? I can do anything I want." Tsunade growled. "But lucky for you, I have another way. There's a jutsu that may help." Naruto's eyes shone. "So there's a way out of this?" "Yes. This jutsu was originally thought of by none other than Orochimaru himself." There was a pause. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but Tsunade shook her head. "Please wait until I'm done. This jutsu has the power to transport two people at a time- only two- into a different world."

"So I can get out of here! Konoha is SAVED!" Naruto shouted, punching the air. "YEAH! BELIEVE IT!" "Naruto!" Tsunade's eyes narrowed. Sakura edged away as a vein began bulging on her forehead. "There are some downfalls. Firstly, the limit of the amount of people you can send." "How's that a problem?!" Naruto's loud voice cut her off once again. "SHUT IT!" Sakura punched his head. Hard. A loud _thwack_ accompanied it, sending Naruto sprawling, paralyzed, on the carpeted floor.

""Don't worry, Tsunade-sama." Sakura said hastily. "He's just paralyzed… I think."

"This is NO time for foolishness!" Tsunade growled, pounding her fist down on the polished wooden desk, causing it to crack slightly. "Get him off the floor. Now."

Sakura reluctantly helped Naruto upright, who gingerly rubbed the egg-sized lump that protruded from his messy blonde hair.

"As I was _saying_," Tsunade-sama growled, interrupting Naruto before he even opened his mouth, "There are several downfalls to this jutsu. First of all, I can't send you with Kakashi, Naruto."

"What? Why?" Naruto's frowned, and then accused, "You said that _two _people could go at a time!" "I was amending to that when you _interrupted me!_" Tsunade countered, clenching her fist. This idiotic ninja was driving her over the edge. Literally.

"There is absolutely no reasoning behind this- or, at least, none that we know of." Tsunade paused, and then continued. "During our experiments we used several rats. The fully grown rats failed to disappear. But the younger ones did so. Only two at a time."

"Our theory is that the mass of the chakra inside a fully-grown ninja's body is much greater than that of a younger ninja. The chakra, according to studies, is amassed over time."

"But Tsunade-sama," Sakura interrupted, appearing rather agitated, "if this is true, then the jutsu wouldn't work on Naruto, would it? The amount of chakra he possesses due to the jinchuuriki far surpasses that of Kakashi or Kurenai or maybe even you, Tsunade-sama, with all due respect."

"This same theory presented itself to the ANBU upon discovering the new jutsu. Naruto, you may not know this, but we have a small… sample of your chakra." "My CHAKRA? How the hell did you get my CHAKRA?" "When I say a sample, I mean a very small sample. Microscopic. Literally." Tsunade held up a seemingly empty glass vial. "We used it on a young rat. It was transported immediately. Our investigators believe that because this… evil chakra is somewhat sealed, it doesn't count towards your total amount of chakra. As long as you keep it under control in the transporting process, you should be fine."

"When did you discover this?" Sakura asked, amazed and intrigued. "I mean, even in all my studies, I've _never _read even a _single_ entry that claims a different world might exist."

"We discovered Orochimaru's old papers two months ago. He hid them well." Tsunade sighed. "And we finished experimenting just last month."

"Then _why _haven't you sent Naruto already?" Sakura asked. Tsunade watched as her pale green eyes flashed with anger, which Tsunade understood. People were dying, and Tsunade had had the solution for almost a month. "Because. The amount of chakra used to transport even a rat is extreme. It took five people. Naruto needs a hundred ninja alone to even get him to the new world. Not to mention you, Sakura."

"I'm going, too?" Sakura's eyes widened. "Yes, Sakura. The transportation is scheduled to be in five minutes. Kakashi, you'll be with me outside of the circle."

"Remember, you two, remain anonymous. I will get you back from this 'new world' when we are fully ready to hide you. You shouldn't have to remain in hiding for more than three months."

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a glance, then looked back at Tsunade. "Hai, Tsunade-sama."

* * *

AND IT IS ALIVE! MWAHAHAH! *Laughs madly*

ANYWAY… pwease tell me what you think. Or I fry your eyeballs and feed them to a cow.

…Not really. X3 But anyway… REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2: Accidents

**Chapter 2**

Haiiii! Sorry for the wait… I had two, day-long Confirmation retreats and I'm exhausted. O_O

Ugh. I made a mistake. DX I already did chapter 2, but then I realized that I never really went into detail on the transporting process… thingy. So I had to take the time to redo chapter 2.

The blonde-headed idiot rushed headfirst into the room. "Woooooow! Tsunade-sama, this is awesome!" "Idiot." Sakura closed her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to ignore the urge to close them around Naruto's throat.

"Naruto. Quiet. Now."

Naruto pursed his lips, but quieted himself, while Sakura remained taking in the view.

They were in a huge, domed room. Beams of wood protruded from solid stone walls, holding up a granite ceiling. It was obvious the room was meant to withstand a lot of damage.

_Which is good,_ she thought, _if the Akatsuki come knocking._

Tons- and I mean, literally, tons- of ninja were poised in a neat circle that took up most of the room, scrolls unraveled at their feet and fingers poised at the ready. Several medical nins lined the outside of the circle. They would stay with Tsunade as the transportation was taking place. Ready for any emergencies.

Even Yamato-sama was there. He gave a short, grim smile and a little wave towards Naruto and Sakura. There to assist if Naruto lost control of the demon.

This was a serious jutsu. Who knows what might happen?

Tsunade was desperate.

*~*~*~*

"Just stay completely still. Rein in your chakra and refrain from using it, no matter what happens. This is a delicate procedure." Tsunade instructed the two as they waited for a medical nin to come take over. "Also, Naruto, Sakura…" "Tsunade-sama?" An odd expression came over Tsunade's face. Almost… concerned. But it quickly went away.

"…Be careful."

Both Naruto and Sakura were too frozen with shock to reply. Concern? From Tsunade? What _had_ this world come to?

But they didn't have long to dwell on that. Seconds after Tsunade spoke, a loud explosion rattled the room. Followed by another. And another. "Tsunade-sama! Akatsuki!" A medical ninja on watch by one of the few windows ducked his head just in time to dodge something white… and fluttering.

"Bombs!" Tsunade pushed Naruto and Sakura into the circle of ninja. "Start it! NOW!" The ninja in the circle paused for one agonizing second, faces showing shock, but quickly began forming hand signs. A sound of hushed muttering reverberated through the room as they began the chant. "Ni, ushi, tora, u, tatsu, mi, uma, hitsuji, saru…"

"Speed it up!" Tsunade shouted.

Naruto and Sakura felt the ground around their feet rumble. A faint light formed in a huge bubble on the inside of the circle. It was bright… too bright.

"Ni ushi tora u tatsu mi uma hitsugi saru…" the chanting gradually became quicker and quicker. The light was making their eyes water, now. It was becoming uncomfortably dazzling.

"…" The chanting became so rapid that it melded into one long word. The light was so bright now that it burned their eyes. They tried to shut them, but found they couldn't.

"…" The words became a shout. The rattling quickened. Chunks of plaster were falling from the ceiling.

"SARU… NI… TORI!" The words were so shrill that they pierced through Naruto and Sakura's eardrums. The light was blotting out everything. There was only the milky white and golden flash. There was nothing… just an endless light.

A huge brick came loose, shooting out of the wall with a crash. "Pein-sama! It's almost complete!" A shout reached their ears, but it was wrong… It came from inside the room. Akatsuki had broken in.

The last thing the two were aware of were shouts and Tsunade's screaming, "STOP THEM!"

Shadowed figures suspended themselves in the light.

There was a flash, and then…

Nothing.


	3. Chapter 3: Foolish Behavoirs

**Me: W00T! I've FINALLY had my Confirmation... *Rubs oil off of head* and now I feel like posting it. I actually started typing the day after I finished the previous chapter… but… well, I got distracted! DON'T JUDGE ME! I have ADD… ish… slightly…**

**Wait, what?**

…**Ooh, look. A pony!**

**Anyway, onwards! Behold my crappily-written OC and her friend.**

…**Seriously. I suck writing about OCs… but, hey, I tried!**

**The next chapter should be in within the next few days… if all goes well. *Shoots sidelong glance at parental controls***

"Here, take the camera." Callie thrust the video camera into Krystal's unsuspecting hands, scrabbling over the top of the fence.

"Has it ever occurred to you to go through the gate?" Krystal grumbled, opening the latch.

"But that's no fun!" Callie took back the camera. "Besides, we'll have to do some climbing, anyway."

Callie's insane blonde hair was pulled into its customary ponytail. She was relieved to finally get it into one- since she had gotten her hair cut, it had been too short to stick it into a hair-tie. That made playing basketball harder than ever. Not that she was good at it, but she had to do _something _to keep herself away from various manga comics… and animes online… and the insane and scarring e-mails her friends sent her on a daily basis…

The snow formed a thick mat over the ground, giving the surrounding landscape the appearance of something from a holiday gift-card. Callie shivered and pulled her coat tighter.

The two friends followed the path that led through the woods. Some cliffs ran overhead, and a valley to the other side, creating a narrow passageway. Frosted trees blocked their view of the sky.

"So, what are we doing, again?" Callie asked.

Krystal's eye twitched. Callie suppressed a grin.

"Spanish weather report, dimbo."

"Oh, yeah."

They walked on in silence for a while.

"Which way now?" Krystal asked, looking in the direction of the valley.

"Pride Rock is this way." Callie said, steering Krystal in the opposite direction. "Past Clay Mountain."

Krystal and Callie scrabbled over the sand-covered cliff, using several mountain laurels as handholds.

"Crap! How far away _is _this thing?" Krystal groaned, clutching her side and panting.

"Not too far." Callie replied, grimacing.

"Let's hurry. My dad'll kill me if he figured out we were in the woods."

Callie tapped her foot impatiently. "I know, I know. Your parents are such worrywarts… no offense or anything." She paused, examining the landscape. "Here. It should be at the top of this cliff."

She pointed her finger to one last, tiny little hill.

"YES!" Krystal shot upright, her tiredness forgotten, and bolted to the top of the cliff. Callie followed suit.

Callie suppressed a grin as Krystal stared at the sky beyond, eyes widened in an expression of over-exaggerated horror. "NOOOOOO!"

"We're supposed to climb up all of that TODAY? In the SNOW?" Krystal banged her head on a tree.

"Yup." The two gazed upward- Krystal in horror, Callie in thrilled anticipation- at a huge, rock-covered cliff, coated in ice, at least 20 feet high- at the top of which rested a huge, rather pointy, rock.2

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE… FIVE GOLDEN-"

"NO!" Krystal shouted, blocking out the rest of the sentence.

"You're no fun!" Callie shouted back down, almost losing her grip on the snow-crested cliff.

"Meh."

Callie pulled herself onto the top- finally- and reached down to help Krystie up, too.

"C'mon. Let's get to the VEEEEEERY top." Callie scrabbled to the moss- or, in this case, snow- covered rock and looked around, savoring the view.

…That is, until her foot kicked something squishy. And alive.

"OMYKAMI!" She screamed, eyes wide as she looked down on the limp figure lying in the snow, another beside him.

"I think I'm gonna faint…"

**Teehee… I have a thing about cliffhangers. XD**

**1 ****These places really DO exist… I should know, I've lived with them my whole life. Though, you should know that Clay Mountain isn't really a mountain. It's just a really big cliff that is kinda vertical, and completely made of sand, so you can climb up it. There's lots of clay at the top… my brothers and I like to climb up there when it's wet to make something… though our sculptures look like CRAP. Pride Rock is a huge, GINORMOUS rock on my neighbor's property… it actually has that little pointy thingy sticking out the front. And a flat, moss-covered top. It's the coolest thing ever, though it's hard to get to, as you'll figure out later on.**

***~*~*~***

**2 ****See? I **_**told **_**you it was hard to get to… me and mah buddies actually climbed up it… in the snow… with a camera… to do a weather report, all in Spanish. I think I captured Krystal's reaction rather accurately. ^.^ It was FUN. Though, it was also completely pointless. Krystal's dad was on his way by the time we were able to navigate a safe route to the top, and we had forgotten the script.**

***~*~*~***

**To mah non-anime obsessed school friends:**

**I've become aware that you guys will actually be reading this, so I'll add you in, too, later. Sorry, guys. XD But I SWEAR, you'll be in it soon. :3 By the way, recognize the song that Callie starts to sing? I didn't want to put it on FanFiction because it would be a lot more M-rated. XD**

**MANGOS**

***~*~*~***

**Teehee…**

**REVIEW! NAO!**


	4. Chapter 4: Of the Other World

**Waah! The last chapter was HORRIBLE… I really do suck at OCs. T_T But I'm too lazy to change it right now. And I cannot do comedy, so I'll stick to more serious stuff. Maybe. *Is shot* BUT! I'll try to stick from Naruto/Sakura's point of view as much as possible.**

**And all did NOT go well! It takes forever to figure out passwords, and I've only been able to type in snatches whenever I'm supposed to be doing a report. Or late at night. (I soon stopped that last idea. .)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto! Or Google! Or Wikipedia! Or anything, except for my OCs! Then again, most of them are based off of real people I know… so I don't really own anything. O.o**

**Ah, well. Enjoy!**

* * *

"What? What is it?" Krystal's strained- and very angry- voice echoed from around ten feet below.

Callie didn't reply.

"Callie?"

"…"

"Hello? Callie?"

"…"

"CALLIE! ANSWER ME- OR SO HELP ME I WILL FEED YOUR CAT TO SOPHIE!" Sophie. Krystal's hyperactive dog.

"…Krystal. You have to come see this." Callie said, shocked. Krystal must have sensed the surprise in her tone, because she scrambled up after her without another complaint.

"…He looks familiar…" she muttered, nudging him with her foot.

"That's because he's Naruto, darnit! How in the heck did he get _here_? How in the heck does he _exist_?!"

* * *

Naruto… Callie's favorite anime. She was surprised Krystal didn't remember her long rants about Kiba… and later on, Tobi. She didn't have a crush on either fictional characters- they were just awesome. Ah, well. Krystal would figure it out eventually- she'd seen two or three episodes. The hyperactive blond ninja wasn't easy to forget, after all.

But how had he come here? He was just a creation, a fictional character… wasn't he?

Callie heard a low moan, and whipped around. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she caught sight of a certain pink-haired ninja, face raw from the snow, eyes burning with emerald fire as she glared at them, taking a defensive stance.

Callie gulped. Considering that they had both just been staring down at Naruto, Krystal nudging him with her foot a second before, they must have looked pretty threatening. Even if they weren't ninja.

Sakura held up her kunai, aiming it straight at them.

"Don't move."

* * *

Naruto was in a dream… or was he? It was impossible to tell. Was he dead or alive? Everything was black… black and cold as night. He was neither happy nor sorrowful, neither pleased nor angry. He was just _there_, suspended in the darkness of space. His emotions were mixed, his thoughts whirling around his head without meaning. Without anything. He was both blind and deaf, trapped in a insubstantial prison.

If he could feel, he would have panicked. All the same, a small spark of fear trilled through him. His eyes rolled beneath his eyelids. He began to shake wildly, digging his nails into his palm.

The fox spirit's chakra, goaded on by his fear, began to spread throughout him slowly, like a seeping poison taking over his body with deadly stealth. Naruto's breathing slowed as the chakra seeped out of his body, but he was unable to do anything. He was completely helpless, at the mercy of the demon fox.

His muscles tensed as memories came flooding into him. Kakashi. Sakura. Tsunade. Sasuke. All the faces of those he loved, those he cared about, flashing before him.

Then it hit him, like a bolt of lightning, jolting him awake- he was losing control. Conscious once again, he clenched his teeth, gradually forcing the spirit backwards. As he did so, his sense of feeling spread throughout him again. He could now think clearly, his thoughts no longer muddled by pain and confusion.

He could feel inside himself again, but, for a brief moment, he could feel outside himself, also.

He could feel the medic-nins' energy draining out with the force exerted to transport such a large amount. He could feel Sakura gradually weakening due to the lack of chakra. He could even feel the fear as nine other figures were transported with them… farther away, but still there.

Akatsuki. They had followed him, even here. But… the only way so many fully-grown ninja could get the whole way there was if…

With an inward burst of strength, he shoved the remnants of the demon fox's chakra back inside of himself, shaking with the exertion.

He could feel the last bits of strength ebbing from all of the medic-nins as they transported the extra load. All those ninja, who had sacrificed their own energy to transport both Naruto and Sakura there… they were dying.

And the Akatsuki had made them die. A harsh feeling of rage surged through him, and as it did so, he became aware of light filtering through his eyelids.

Naruto opened his eyes, blinking in the harsh sunshine of the new world.

* * *

Sakura's eyes flashed downwards for a split second as the blond ninja's eyes flew open. "Back up," she ordered them.

Callie backed away as slowly as possible, stopping at the very edge of the huge rock. She could feel Krystal tensing- she was still unmoving. She willed her temperamental friend to obey- she didn't feel like getting killed. Sakura and Naruto weren't the 'bad' characters in the manga/anime, but any ninja was dangerous. And they hadn't had a chance to tell Sakura that they meant no harm.

But Krystal backed up, too, and Callie relaxed.

Sakura began performing handsigns with one hand, holding the kunai at the ready in the other. After a second, an exact copy of her appeared in a puff of smoke.

The real Sakura bent down next to Naruto, while her clone glared at Callie and Krystal, knife at the ready, as if challenging them to attack.

Fat chance of _that _happening.

Sakura began shaking Naruto gently, then, when he was still unmoving, placed her palm on his forehead. A greenish light glowed from her palm, and Naruto's eyes fluttered open.

"…Unh… Sakura…?"

"Naruto!" Sakura pushed him down as he tried to sit up. "You're injured- all that exertion. Stay still for a second." She held out her palm, still glowing, over Naruto's stomach. The green light intensified.

It took only a few minutes, but if felt like hours for Callie, who hated to stand still for any length of time. However, Naruto was soon back to full health, with the help of a brownish pill- that Callie recognized as a Soldier Pill- and Sakura's expertise in medical treatment.

"Naruto… what happened? It wasn't supposed to do this. We were supposed to land somewhere private, below ground. Lady Tsunade said so herself."

The blond ninja looked at Sakura. "The Akatsuki followed. The medic-nins are dead… or close to death. There's no way we can get back anytime soon." His voice was flat, emotionless.

Callie's eyes widened. Why was Naruto so depressed? Wait, screw that. What medic-nins? The _Akatsuki _followed?

What in the heck was going on here?

"Akatsuki?" Krystal looked between Naruto and Sakura, puzzled.

Callie face-palmed.

* * *

Naruto started at the voice. He whirled around, hand reaching into his kunai pouch, only to see two children.

Well, not exactly. They were around the age of a ninja just graduated from the Academy- twelve or more. He had been so himself when Sasuke had left. But they seemed small compared to him now.

The one who had spoken had a fierce expression on her face, with tan skin and long, dark brown hair- so brown, it was almost black- that hung down to her waist in a ponytail. She had dark brown eyes, and was dressed in a gray hoodie and jeans.

The second was skinny, with some freckles, and wild, dirty blonde hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She had blue eyes, and was somewhat shorter than the other. She was wearing jeans similar to the first's, as well as a dark red turtleneck. They didn't seem like much of a threat, but this was a different world…. Who knew _what _abilities the people here could have?

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where are we?"

* * *

Callie shot a glance at Krystal. "Uh… I'm Callie. And this is Krystal. Nice to meet you, Naruto."

"You know my name?"

Time to explain. "Yeah, see… you know what comic books are?"

He looked at her as if she were an idiot. "Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"

Callie grimaced. "Well… in this world, you're in a popular comic book. Pretty much everything that happens to you is in it. And it was also made into a television show."

"So we're fictional characters, is that it?" His eyes darkened.

"Uh… that's what I thought. BUT… it's pretty obvious now that you aren't."

Callie could tell he was still apprehensive, but ninja were supposed to be good at detecting lies… right? And she'd been telling the truth through and through.

He still hesitated, then: "How much do you know?"

"Everything- the Akatsuki members, their goals, their true intentions, even disputes among themselves. Not to mention how they die- _if _they die- and what kills them." Might as well be of _some _help- perhaps it would let her gain their trust.

"So you know all about them?"

"Pretty much. And what I don't know, it'll take me around five minutes to find out."

Hurray for Google. And Wikipedia.

Naruto glanced at Sakura. She sighed, but nodded, ever so slightly. But as she turned her eyes on the two friends, her eyes still gleamed with distrust.

"Fine. I don't like saying this- there's no point in hiding it, really-

But…

…

"We're in trouble. And we need your help."


	5. Chapter 5: Getting Acquainted

Please forgive me. Dx I've just had some… bullying problems at school, as well as other matters on my mind- I'm starting High School next year and all, so I've spent all my time applying for honors in subjects, dealing with idiotic teachers, etc.- and it's really starting to grind on my nerves. . Honestly, it's getting rather annoying.

**So, yeah. I've had a lot of stuff on my mind. In other news…**

**This is now **_**officially **_**a non-romance fic. I was toying with the idea at first, then quickly discarded it. I cannot do romances, and I never particularly enjoyed reading them unless they ended up having a good plotline- and were at least a bit appropriate.**

**But, yeah. Sorry to all those who wanted a romance. I just don't do it. And this fanfic is rated T for perhaps some violence later on. Not for cursing or inappropriate romance. I don't do that kind of stuff. I think it may be better off rated K+, but whatever. Might as well be safe. Just don't expect me to go around pasting curse words at random places in here. Even for foul-mouthed Hidan- I'll mark all the cursing he does with asterisks. (****) Sorry again- I just don't do that stuff. I know I'm allowed, but it doesn't feel right. Dx**

**Anyway, please enjoy! ^.^**

* * *

"So, they followed you." Callie surmised. She was sitting cross-legged on the snowy ground, her hand resting on her chin in thought. She was sitting on her old coat- it kept out most of the cold. "And why would you need _our _help?"

Sakura gave an exasperated snort. "Because we don't know this place. And, you have useful information… if what you say is true, that is." The pink-haired kunoichi said the last part rather haughtily, as if disbelieving Callie's claims.

Callie chose to ignore her, instead turning to Naruto. He seemed much friendlier in the anime. "Each of the members of the Akatsuki die in different ways. Maybe, if you can use those ways in advance, you can get back into your own world, safe and sound. After all, it sounds like you're in a bit of trouble."

Sakura harrumphed and rolled her eyes. Callie saw Krystal's eye twitching- again- and sighed.

This Sakura did NOT have the same personality as the anime Sakura. Already, even happy-go-lucky Callie was getting annoyed.

"We need a place to stay. Can we inquire with your Hokage about this?" Sakura asked- rather curtly, but at least she was being polite for once. Unfortunately, Callie sensed that her politeness would be short-lived.

Callie gulped. Krystal looked at the pink-haired medic nin as if she had just grown a third head. "Er… you see… we don't exactly have… a Hokage."

"Which kage do you have, then? Where's your village leader?" Naruto asked. Then, "Where's your _village_?"

Thankfully for Callie, who was starting to get a bit nervous, Krystal intervened. "We don't have that, either. We have a president, if that counts as a leader. But I doubt you'd want to meet him. Plus he wouldn't be any help. Believe me. He hardly does anything in his own country… er, village."

"Then why is he your leader?" Sakura asked, eyebrows raising so high that they threatened to disappear under her hairline.

"The media are idiots." Krystal replied flatly.8

"Media?"

Callie cut in. "They don't need to know about that."

A tick began to throb on Sakura's forehead. "Obviously not. All we need is help. And apparently you can't give it to us."

"Well, we still have valuable information."

"True. Give it to us and we'll leave."

"B-but we know this world more than you both. We know the laws here. I know you can take care of yourselves, but there are still rules- and, forgive me, more modern technology. Do you want to be caught on film and have thousands, perhaps even millions recognize you? Either you'll be mistaken for a super-powered cosplayer or the real thing. Believe me, the government here is pretty stupid, but it's not _that _stupid. Eventually they'll have to realize something is wrong. And then people would know that you exist."

"And we care why? This is _your _world, not ours. There's no danger to us."

"But there are guns, and bombs, and nukes! Not to mention huge levels of security. If people really decide to get rid of you, then you're in trouble. Big trouble." Callie winced inwardly at the accusing look from Krystal that she felt pierce her from behind. Obviously, to them, none of this was true. It wasn't like people would go around blowing up buildings in search of some cosplayers, even if the ones in question had knives. Sakura and Naruto weren't in any _real _trouble from anyone but the Akatsuki.

But even Sakura was now looking apprehensive. Naruto was fidgeting nervously. They didn't know what this world was like. This wasn't their own- it was a whole other place, with different rules and laws, different customs- different foods and levels of intelligence. Heck, for all they knew, this world could be some sort of twisted, sick religion tied up into an entire community.

"We'll stay here for a bit, I suppose. Do you have food?" Naruto asked hopefully.

Callie grinned. "Yes. Stacks and stacks of Instant Ramen." **(Believe it or not, I really **_**do **_**have stacks and stacks of Instant Ramen piling up in my garage. xD)**

Naruto cheered and whooped, all weariness forgotten. "All right! I'm starting to like this world!"

As all four headed down the cliff- the two ninja jumping, the two girls climbing down slowly but steadily, Callie pushed away the guilt she felt from lying to the two ninja._ But_, she argued with herself, _Krystal and I could help. We could do something, anything to help them keep away from the Akatsuki._

…_Can't we?_

* * *

Callie set up the stove while the two Konoha ninja sat at the table, chatting quietly and shooting nervous glances at both Callie and Krystal. Obviously, the two still weren't trusted. Callie couldn't really blame them. This world was very different from their own.

Krystal, whose parents would never let her anywhere near a stove, instead doing the cooking themselves, just stood there looking politely uncomfortable. Callie's parents were out at gym, her little sister was asleep, and her brothers were having a boy-scout camping trip somewhere in West Virginia.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Callie asked Naruto and Sakura. Sakura gave a curt shake of the head, while Naruto shrugged self-consciously. "Milk, maybe?" Callie pressed. She knew they had to be thirsty. "Or water?"

"…Um… some milk would be fine." Naruto suggested hopefully, earning him a glare from Sakura. "And I know Sakura wants water. She's just being ru-" Callie winced as his words were interrupted by a loud _bonk _- Sakura's personality may have changed quite a bit, but it was still the same in_ that_ regard, at least.

Krystal, glad of something to do, dived for the fridge while Callie reached for the cups. She filled one in the sink, adding some ice from the freezer, while Krystal got some milk out of the fridge and poured it into a second glass.

Callie disliked Sakura, but her family was big on hospitality and politeness- even to people they happened to dislike. Pouring the ramen into two different bowls, she carried the steaming noodles over to the wooden table, putting a fork beside each of them, as well as a napkin.

For a second, Naruto and Sakura both stared at the fork. Then,

"What the heck is _this_? A pitchfork?" Sakura sneered, holding up the fork between her thumb and forefinger as if it were a dead animal. "Are we supposed to _stab _our food with it or something?"

Krystal, coming over to put the cups down too, glared at them, affronted. "It's a _fork_, idiots. Ever heard of one?"

Callie intervened before a fight ensued, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.

"Krystal, they're basically our equivalent of Japanese. They use chopsticks." she picked up the fork, sticking it back into the drawer and emerging with two pairs of said utensil. Giving the largest pair to Naruto, she took a second in giving one to Sakura, saying to Krystal, "Though they didn't have to be so rude about it." By _they_, she meant Sakura- which was obvious to pretty much everyone in the room. Even dim-witted Naruto couldn't miss _that_- so naturally, he wasn't even offended.

But Sakura pretended that she couldn't hear, and rudely snapped apart the chopsticks and began eating. Naruto followed suit, finishing his Ramen in record time, slurping it down in seconds.

* * *

Fifteen ramen servings later, all four headed into the family room to discuss strategies.

"So. Tell us now- what do you know about the Akatsuki? Start out with the members." Sakura said.

After a solid minute of waiting, Sakura caught on, and then mumbled, "If you'd please."

"Thank you." Callie said, hiding a grin.

"I'm not sure how much you know, or if you even follow the storyline. But it's obvious you know something about the Akatsuki. I'll just mention them all."

Krystal turned on the laptop as Callie spoke, hooking it up to the computer. Krystal was a stronger speaker than her friend, but she knew almost nothing about Naruto. "The Akatsuki are led by Pein."

Behind her, Krystal pulled up Google Images, typing in- "Naruto- Pein". Almost immediately a million pictures popped up. Clicking the nearest one, she copied and pasted it into Microsoft Word and placed a caption underneath, leaving some space after the caption.

"He's actually pretty powerful. Unfortunately, Pein does not die, though he is defeated and captured, if I remember correctly. He knows the Summoning Technique, Chibaku Tensei, and Banshō Ten'in, as well as the Asura Path.

Krystal typed these rapidly, pausing to hit "Google Translator" to get it into Japanese, and then pasted the information in both languages beneath the caption.

"Pein's partner is Konan. She leaves the Akatsuki. Her jutsus are mostly paper-oriented, believe it or not. She, like Pein, is not killed." Krystal did the same thing with Konan that she did with Pein, pausing to add a pretty Japanese border at the edges of the document. Callie raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Zetsu resembles a plant. He actually argues with himself. Not to mention he's a cannibal." A picture of Zetsu popped up. "He didn't die, either. Just watch out- he can split himself into two. He's half black and half white."

"Hidan is a crazy, silver-haired Jashinist. He was defeated, along with his partner, Kakuzu, when he was tricked into licking Kakuzu's blood and killing him when he stabbed himself in the heart. He's immortal, believe it or not, but he was defeated when Shikamaru lured him into a paper-bomb trap and buried the pieces. Basically, get some of Kakuzu's or another Akatsuki member's blood, trick Hidan into licking it and thinking that it's yours, and you're all set.

"Deidara uses mainly bombs and explosions. He's the youngest and most inexperienced of the organization, being only nineteen. He's hot-headed and easily responds to taunts. Not the worst, but his hands have mouths on them that form clay into bombs. A huge mouth on his chest is used to do a suicidal bombing, which is how he dies." Callie didn't add _why _he resorted to suicide- some things were better left unsaid.

"His two partners are very different. Sasori is grumpy but experienced, and uses deadly poison. Sakura, in the manga you defeated him with antidotes you made with samples of the poison that he uses to deflect it and stab his heart. He's not easy, but it's possible to defeat him."

"Tobi is hyperactive, agile, and resembles a two-year-old in personality. He has a swirly orange mask with one eyehole. Actually, he's the awesomest character in the Akatsuki. Not that I like them or anything, but he seems pretty friendly. However, he's one of the founders of the Uchiha Clan- Madara Uchiha- in disguise. Unfortunately, Madara is very powerful, cold-hearted and evil. It all depends on if Tobi has showed himself yet. He wouldn't want to give himself away, so he'd keep the guise of Tobi. But if it's Madara... run. You wouldn't stand a chance. Case closed."

"Finally comes Itachi and Kisame. Itachi is killed, but purposefully. I doubt you'd be able to do it. Kisame was decapitated in a fight against the seven-tailed demon. I suppose the best way to kill him is to avoid his giant fuzzy purple sword and keep above reach of any water jutsus he might cook up." Krystal pasted the last picture, then printed the sheets out, putting them on the polished oak side table.

"And there you go. If you really want their pasts, we can get them for you, but it wouldn't be any help. That's basically all. I'd say your best hope is evading them. Deidara would be impossible to get to with Sasori around. If it was Tobi, your chances would be better, but Pein knows his identity. I doubt he'd be too happy if Tobi/Madara let his teammate die. So just watch out for the more powerful members." _Which is pretty much all of them. _Callie thought bitterly. _After all, they're not classified as S-ranked criminals for nothing._

"That's it? Nothing else? The only _useful _thing in there is the information about Madara, and even _that _doesn't help us!" Sakura growled, standing up abruptly. "It's obvious that you can't help us. We can find shelter on our own."

Callie looked down at her hands. They were right- there was almost nothing to go by. All of their chances were _what-if_s. What if they're more powerful than even in the anime? What if _all_ of them were still alive, not just a few? What if, what if, what if...?

"Sakura, their information still helped slightly; every little bit counts- not to mention that they know this world better than we do. At the least they can tell us the best places to hide, where _not _to go, etcetera."

"Yes, well..."

"C'mon, Sakura. Don't be such a sour puss." Naruto poked her in the arm. "What else are we going to do here? "

"Well..." Sakura hesitated a bit more, glancing nervously out the window. Callie knew that she was apprehensive about what may be out there- but she didn't want to spend any more time at Callie's house than necessary.

"I'll let you think on it." Callie said hurriedly as a bawling noise came resounding from upstairs. She raced up, taking two steps at a time- Krystal following close behind.

* * *

A round, rosy face brightened as Callie eased open the door.

"Out! Ouuuut!"

"Fine, fine." Callie muttered, taking over to the changing table.

One diaper swap later, little Ellie was bouncing down the stairs, pudgy little hands clasped around a pen that had fallen out of Callie's pocket.

And one wrestling match later, a shout and clatter came from the kitchen. Callie and Krystal jerked their heads upward as a voice shrieked, "Who the heck are you?!"

* * *

**Yes, I know the personalities don't match, but they're not **_**supposed **_**to. At least not completely. The point is, the characters aren't the same as they're supposed to be.**

**But the next chapter'll be a bit exciting and may start off the plot- finally. xD I think I'ma start typing it as soon as I post this chapter- so you may find an update while your reading. :D**

**Adios, mis amigos! (Pfft… I've been studying so much Spanish that now I'm talking in it. T.T)**


	6. Chapter 6: A foolish descision

**Thank you, guys, for all the reviews! ^.^ I tried to make this chapter exciting as possible. I was having an urge to write after finishing the fifth _Fablehaven _book. :D You guys really need to read them... they're the best.**

**Guess which Akatsuki members will appear first? :D Virtual hugs to whomever guesses right!**

* * *

Of course, bursting into your best friends' house to find a girl with pink hair (and incredibly unusual

clothes) and a blond-headed clown (What other impression could such a ridiculous suit make?) was shocking indeed. Even more so when one of them is holding an odd looking knife up to one's throat and muttering death threats under her breath.

Their reaction was to be expected, Sakura thought. Of course, they were totally unprepared. Definitely not ninja- no ninja's reflexes were so poor. And certainly they didn't try to shove the serrated edge of a kunai away from themselves, unless they wanted permanent damage to their hands- those blades were sharp. Even a minor trail across one's skin could result in a gash deep and agonizing. Thankfully Sakura managed to jerk her arm back just in time- to her mind, there was no point in intentionally injuring someone unless absolutely certain that someone was a threat- and even if they did decide to attack, Sakura could easily run laps around them before they even had the chance to move.

One of them was shorter than usual, thin, with brown hair hanging at a length that rivaled even Kurenai-sensei's. The other was taller, more muscular, but with short hair that was cut down to just below her ears. A third- the one closest to the front and the one she had been holding the kunai up to- had long, dark auburn hair and a slim- yet somehow sickly looking- body. Naturally, all three appeared apprehensive, and- Sakura just had to say it- dumb. They were like the other two upstairs. Clueless. Untrained. It was pathetic, how unprepared they were. No ninja was ever like this. It was a sign of weakness to be caught by surprise, and Sakura had hardly been trying- she had suspected Akatsuki. A fight. These were less than common villagers. She was beginning to hate this world even more by the second.

"Who in the heck are you?!" the auburn-haired one shrieked in an annoyingly high-pitched voice, obviously still surprised and frightened by her sudden appearance. Sakura heard footsteps- presumably Callie's, considering that she was shorter and the steps were softer- thumping down towards the small room.

"Oh… er… hi, Megan."

"Callie, who in the heck are these weirdoes?" the dubbed "Megan" raised one eyebrow, obviously over her initial shock.

"F-friends," Callie replied, stuttering a bit. "They live down the street. They have costumes on for a play they're doing, and my parents invited them to come and help with Ellie while we work on our report down in the woods."

"Oh." She blinked, apparently believing her. Sakura could hardly resist raising an eyebrow. She could hear the lie in Callie's voice, plain and clear. It was obvious that none of them was a real threat. But still… caution was something ninja had grilled into them at a young age. And Sakura wasn't prepared to give up hers- not lightly.

Suddenly, Callie's earlier words dawned on her. The woods? They were returning there, where the Akatsuki could possibly have landed?

Definitely not. It was a risk- and even though she didn't like the two unknown children from this world who opted to help them, she didn't feel like having the weight of two deaths that could have been avoided hanging on her shoulders. Not to mention the fact that they possessed knowledge that could be harmful if in the hands of the Akatsuki- if what they claimed was true, that was.

But she couldn't say anything. Not in the face of three others who had no idea who she may be- and were under the impression that she and Naruto were here to "help with Ellie", whatever that meant.

Callie was visibly thinking fast. "Um… Sakura, Nar-Nathan, Ellie should be watching TV… you can hear her from here. Er… we'll try to get the report done as soon as possible. Some of the filming has to be done inside, anyway. Here, I'll leave you some instructions." She wrote a few sentences down on a piece of paper, handing them to Naruto. "Thanks so much for your help."

Sakura just stalked down the hall.

Naruto soon caught up with her. "Sakura! Ellie is Callie's little sister. She should be fine if I leave a clone here. I think we should head into the woods to-"

"To make sure they don't attempt to tell the truth to their comrades?"

"Um… I guess you could say that." He said, sheepishly. "Better to be safe than sorry."

Sakura just grunted an inaudible reply. Naruto quickly summoned up a clone, who gave a mock salute. On a silent signal, the two leapt out of the house.

* * *

True to her word, Callie had not told any of the others- at least, that's what Sakura thought. They engaged in conversation as they headed down the cliff-line, chatting about random topics that would be too bothersome to repeat. Sakura decided not to let Callie know they were tailing her just yet- perhaps she'd catch her at treachery.

Suddenly, she felt a pull in her gut- a massive one. It was the kind of sense that told ninja when another was nearby. Usually, the senses were far from helpful- after all, it worked over great distances and the various tugs were always present. Usually ninja looked for more obscure signs.

But here, in this world, the tugging had abated. It made Sakura feel odd, and strangely light. She suspected Naruto felt the same. He gave her an alarmed glance as he, too, felt it.

But now, she was watching the scenery ardently, eyes narrowed as she picked apart each bit of the scenery.

There. A flash of red on black.

_They were right across the valley_.

And nothing could be done without the three seeing.

Sakura immediately masked her chakra, wondering if it was too late. It took her only a second to see that they were still far off- but there wasn't much time.

This was her chance. She signaled to Naruto, and he gave a quick, strained nod. He stomped on the crackling leaves, when he was at an angle that only Callie could see him by.

Immediately, her head shot up, a question forming. Naruto quickly shook his head, gesturing towards the direction and miming a knife slitting across his throat.

That did the trick.

Callie's face went pale. The others- aside from Krystal, who had pretty much deducted what was happening from her expression and the sight of Naruto behind the tree- chatted on, oblivious.

Naruto mimed a pushing motion, and then pointed at the three. _Or they'll die _he mouthed.

Callie gave a quick nod, and then pulled Krystal away from the rest of the group. A second later, Naruto and Sakura had effectively knocked all three out.

Callie was still pale. She glanced up anxiously as Sakura and Naruto positioned them at the bottom of the valley.

"Why are you putting them down there?" Callie asked. Sakura didn't respond, so Naruto answered. "We want them to think they fell. And we don't want them to get involved in this. It's best for them to be knocked out."

"Then shouldn't we be, too?" Krystal asked. "After all, we're not much of a help."

"No. The Akatsuki are coming fast. We need them completely distracted- I think I know these two. They're the kind that stay and talk. We need them completely distracted if we want to set up a trap. Act like you don't know who they are. Say anything you _would _say if you met two strangers dressed in cloaks coming down your property. They may ask questions. Try to answer them without lying- you're both pathetic liars. Just keep them occupied. We won't let it get out of hand."

Callie tensed. Krystal scuffed the ground with her feet.

"Think of it this way- the Akatsuki are formidable enemies. Here, our chakra fades quickly- it's the atmosphere. We don't have the energy to kill them."

Callie would not know until much later what "it's in the atmosphere" meant- but for the time, she ignored it. She had more pressing matters on her hands.

"Fine. We'll stall them." She said.

Sakura gave a relieved nod. "Good."

* * *

They arrived within the next minute. Krystal and Callie were talking casually while sitting on a large, fallen rock, continuing a conversation about what the other three had been talking about before. Sakura kept a sharp eye out for them, and soon saw they were within a mile of the long, winding path.

The two looped to the side to avoid being seen. One was tall and silver-haired- the other with glowing green eyes and a mask.

They did- as Sakura expected- perform a quick transformation jutsu. An old man and a young man, dressed in the strange clothes of this world.

Callie and Krystal stopped talking as they approached. Callie was the one to turn around as they approached. "Excuse me, but this is Private Property. I'm sorry, but strangers aren't allowed down here anymore. Vandalism and all that."

Sakura tensed, expecting it all to be over- but to her astonishment, it wasn't a lie. In fact, it was the truth. Callie's parents had long since forbade anyone uninvited to come onto their property after a few neighborhood boys had started smoking, littering, and burning bonfires there.

"We're just seeking information. Has a blond-headed boy been spotted around here? Perhaps dressed a bit odd?" The older one asked.

"There are plenty of blond-headed people around here." Callie hedged.

"Any dressed strangely?"

"Again, it's hard to say. There are tons of blonds who dress strangely. People of other hair colors do, too. But I assure you, we haven't seen someone like that… on our pier."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura were chanting softly over several intertwined threads of chakra, performing hand signs as rapidly as possible while shooting sidelong glances at Callie and Krystal's conversation.

"He's a relative that ran away from home. Will you notify the authorities if you remember- or see- anyone looking like this?"

Sakura's chanting stopped. Callie's face paled. The two Akatsuki members in disguise waited patiently, but now there was malice hanging in the air between them. What could Callie say? No? They'd know she knew something. Yes? They'd know she was lying. No response? Same result as the former.

"We need to go." Callie said. The two Akatsuki were already assuming threatening stances. Then both Callie and Krystal raced away.

The earth crumbled underneath Krystal, making her fall. Callie had no time to retaliate. Soon, both were tumbling down, headfirst, into the rocks below.

Sakura almost retaliated, but then she noticed the dark threads shooting out from the elder's sleeve. Krystal was caught on the shoe- Callie, unfortunately, on the arm. From a distance, Sakura could make out the tiny barbs covering the threads for extra traction.

Her mind raced. They had at least a few seconds to finish up the net of chakra she and Naruto had woven. On one hand, they'd have to pour almost all of their chakra into it- leaving them almost unable to get the net around the members- but it would save the two. On the other, they could wait and hope for the best- and let Callie and Krystal die so they could retain chakra.

Despite the dislike Sakura harbored for the two, she immediately knew- and Naruto, too- what they were going to do.** (OOC: Try saying **_**that **_**three times fast. XD)**

Immediately, they placed their hands on the woven net, and it glowed with the sudden burst of energy. The sudden drain on their strength left them staggered for a moment, but they couldn't stop now- Hidan was producing his scythe. Kakuzu's threads were tightening. Already, blood was trickling down Callie's arm, and Krystal's shoe was torn under the small barbs protruding from the threads, and blood was seeping from some of the tears.

Both of them yanked up the net, then- without wasting time- leapt at the Akatsuki, dragging it down over them and quickly tying the opening. Sakura immediately delivered a sharp blow to the back of their necks, and they drooped down. She almost collapsed from the effort after her lack of chakra- Naruto was panting.

Krystal gingerly slid the threads off her foot, bloodying her hands as she did so. Callie tried, too- but they were tightened at least an inch into her arm, and she only succeeded in pushing them deeper.

Sakura crouched at the edge of the wound, examining it grimly. Then her hand glowed green, and the blood seeped back inside- leaving the thread still embedded halfway in. Then, with a yank, she pulled it off.

"You'll have a scar for quite a while," Sakura said, examining the red, loopy line that was at least an inch thick going from her elbow down to her wrist. "Forever, probably. I could've prevented the scarring, but that would mean extracting the threads first- and I don't even want to go into what that would do to you. The barbs were too far in. I had to heal the veins first. On the bright side, you'll only feel a major ache for a few weeks."

She then jumped over to Krystal. A glow of green light, and no mark remained- aside from some puncture wounds where the barbs had begun to penetrate.

"Callie! Krystal!" a voice called from the bottom of the valley. Sakura and Naruto retrieved the net, jumping away.

"You guys okay?" Callie called. "You fell!"

"Y-yeah. I think we're fine. No injuries, oddly enough." Another voice said.

"C'mon. We'll help you out of there- let's do the rest of the filming at home."

* * *

**I'm officially sticking to Naruto and Sakura's point of view. Not just sometimes- pretty much ALL the time. Of course, there's a time in the future when I need Callie and/or Krystal to be the main person, but those times will be few and far between.**

****NEW POLL****

**I have a new poll on my profile- and I need you guys to vote. Which team should appear next?**

**I'll close it after the next chapter comes up. ^.^ Vote away! And review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Growing Horror

**I am alive! :D Sorry it's been so long. We're graduating Monday. I would've had this up sooner, but there was an unexpected visit from a friend that moved to Milwaukee a year ago. None of us knew she was coming. She just walked through the door during Science class. xD I think she was almost hugged to death.**

**Anyway, here it is. :3**

Sakura crouched on the edge of the couch, sharpening her kunai. Naruto was sitting _on _the couch, flipping through the TV channels. To Sakura's disgust, her teammate was now obsessed with all things electronic.

_Stupid. We shouldn't have stayed... _

It had been _months_. Months! Months of doing _nothing._ It was enough to drive Sakura insane. Naruto's stupid obsession wasn't helping much, either.

She hit the kunai a bit too hard, and the shards went flying. Three of them smashed into the television, shorting it out. Naruto jumped up. "Hey!"

"Shut up. You've been watching that thing all day," Sakura growled, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him outside.

"We need to get all of the Akatsuki. And fast."

"Why?"

"Because we're becoming too used to this world. I can tell you that just by looking at you."

"But we don't know where they are!"

"We can track them down," Sakura said. The familiar tugging in her gut was faint, but she knew where to go.

"What about Callie and Krystal?" Naruto asked, pulling the unfamiliar-feeling collar of his shirt.

"They're staying here." she said firmly. "Now, get out of that ridiculous clothing and put on your ninja clothes. We're going. Now."

Callie dashed into her room. "Naruto? Sakura?" she called, throwing open the closet. It was the last place they could be.

"They're gone..."

She immediately dashed back downstairs, frantic now. Where were they? Would she ever see the two again?

Probably not.

"No sign of them." Krystal said, coming from an adjoining room. "They're gone."

The branches whipped against Sakura's face. Despite her best efforts, she was gradually weakening. Her inability to gain chakra in this world was drawing on her strength each day. They _needed _to find the Akatsuki.

Naruto wasn't much better. The time he'd spent in front of the TV had taken its toll. He was feeling it even now, the gravity thicker than usual, trying to bring him down.

"Let's rest for a bit," he called.

"No." Sakura said bluntly. "Now, shut up." She was finally locking in on something. Naruto sighed, pouting.

"It's close. Let's stop for a bit and think." Sakura was reluctant to admit it, but she had no plan in mind. She had just needed to get _out,_ to try and do something for once.

"Why not use the chakra nets, like with the others?" Naruto asked.

"Do you really think we have enough chakra for that?"

"...Good point."

"They'll be weakened, too. Moreso than us, probably." Naruto thought aloud. "Why not just... improvise?"

Then they both felt it.

The tugging was _strong. _Urgent, now.

"Someone is far from _home_, hm."

Sakura leapt backwards, sending her kunai flying. Naruto took a fighting stance, aiming a punch at the blond teenager. He hastily dodged the attacks, flying several feet before landing with a _thud._ His face looked tired.

"Hey, I'm not going to attack, yeah. I just want to get out of here." His one blue eye shone earnestly. "Seriously, this world is awful, hm."

"Are you offering an alliance?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded.

Deidara raised an eyebrow. "Obviously, yeah. I'd like to help you."

"Why?" Sakura demanded.

"Because I want _out_. Didn't you hear me before?"

"Why should we trust you?" Sakura demanded.

"Because I have important information pertaining to those two brats that Hidan and Kakuzu almost killed, yeah."

"And what is it?" Sakura demanded.

"Let's just say that you may want to get back there soon, unless you want them to die."

Itachi Uchiha perched on the cliff edge, looking grimly over at the house not far away. His partner was leaned against a nearby tree, rough skin scraping the bark as he rolled his small eyes.

"This is stupid," he said in a gravelly voice. "We're supposed to be chasing Jinchuuriki, not stupid little brats with no chakra."

"They have information," Itachi said in that soft voice of his. Even though it was nowhere near loud, Kisame could hear him perfectly.

"Yeah, so what? If that's the case, why not send Tobi or some other novice over?"

"Pein wants them sufficiently terrified so they spill everything."

"Yeah, but couldn't someone like Deidara do that? Not us elites!"

"It's not our duty to question, but to obey. Besides, we're also supposed to retrieve Hidan and Kakuzu, as well. Tobi does not strike fear in others. Pein-sama cannot be bothered with such a small task. Deidara is currently... unavailable."

"So we're left with the job."

"Yes." Itachi lifted his head, dark red eyes shining somberly as he fixed them on something in the distance. "I'd say we have about three hours."

"Easy," Kisame shrugged. "We could be done in minutes."

Krystal was doing a routine check of the house, Callie close behind. Sakura and Naruto had apparently left Hidan and Kakuzu behind- bound tightly in a net of chakra inside the nearest tree-house. It had been two days since they'd left.

As the two neared the tree-house, something made Krystal stop. Some strange foreboding. "Callie, I'm sure they're fine," she said nervously. "Let's... head back."

"Nope. It's too late for that." A rough, grating voice made Callie jump about a mile in the air. A blue-skinned figure dropped from a nearby tree, stroking the edge of a bandaged sword. Krystal jerked backwards as a similar figure dropped from the other side. Unlike the smiling Kisame, he had no expression on his face.

"Now, I think you know why we're here." Kisame began to unwind the strips of cloth surrounding his sword. Out emerged something that looked oddly like a popsicle.

"Uh... no, we don't even know who you are." Krystal raised an eyebrow. "Can you go away, please? And take that fuzzy purple popsicle with you."

Kisame's expression remained neutral, though now his smile looked more fixed, as if held in place only by sheer will. In the blink of an eye, Krystal was doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach. Callie felt her _own _stomach twist when she realized that blood was seeping from between her fingers.

"Wrong answer. I could do this all day," Kisame cackled. "Your turn. Do you know why we're here?" He asked, turning to face Callie and looking thoroughly amused.

She said nothing.

"Well?"

"...You want that blond we helped a few months ago?" Callie asked, attempting to feign ignorance.

"Don't even try that. _You _knew all along who he and his friend were. Where are they now? How did you know them?"

"I didn't!" Callie cried, throwing up her hands. "I had no idea who they were!"

"Wrong answer." Callie fell down on one hand when a thick gash appeared on her thigh, made by a kunai moving too fast for anyone of her meager skill level to see.

"You. Answer the questions." He was turned back to Krystal, now looking thoroughly amused.

"...No." Another gash, this time on her arm.

"I keep telling you... I could do this _all day_."


	8. Chapter 8: Trapped in the Corner

**Yeah, I admit it... I kind of lost hope on this fanfiction. . I kept procrastinating on it over the summer, and eventually I forgot completely. Looking back, some of my writing was kind of choppy, and a bit unsteady. I was so afraid of going into too much detail that it turned out horribly. xD**

**Anyway, I'm not going to give up on this fanfic. :3 My new goal? At the very least, a chapter per week. I WILL get this done!**

**Message me with any ideas you guys have. I already have all the plans laid out in my mind- I just need to get it into a story format- but any ideas are welcome. ^.^**

Naruto and Sakura left the area with Deidara almost immediately, progressing quickly. The Akatsuki member traveled between the two- Naruto at the back, Sakura at the front- so that the Konoha ninja could keep a close eye on him. They progressed in silence.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Deidara's voice made both ninja jump. Ignoring their reactions, he continued.

"This world. Who would have guessed it ever existed? An alternate reality. A place where we- as ninja- do not exist. A place where chakra is a mythical thing- a thing that the inhabitants of this world live- no, thrive- without."

Naruto blinked. Sakura glanced back, her eyebrow raised. What was he getting at?

Deidara was looking straight ahead, the eye that he revealed unblinking. There was a light smirk on his face.

"It's a pathetic world, really. A pathetic world filled with pathetic inhabitants. Or are they truly pathetic? In the months since we've been here, you two have been 'adopted' by some of them, haven't you? How are they able to live like this? What drives them, hm?

"Let me answer that for you. What drives them is the thing that any living thing is driven by: the need to survive. They lack strength. Discipline. They are a race accustomed to doing what they wish, with a strange form of government that is ruled by the desires of the people themselves and split into so many meaningless categories it is nigh on impossible to understand. By chance- mere chance- they are able to exist." His short speech ended, the youngest Akatsuki member lapsed into a smug silence.

A few seconds passed before Sakura replied.

"As true as most of your statement is, the fact that they are alive is not chance. We are alive because of our power and intelligence. They are alive because of their intelligence alone. We spend around five years in the Academy, at the very least. They spend their entire childhood learning. We are almost always at war. We do not have the time to make the technological advances that they have, and so we are different. Their inability to move quickly, to strike effectively, to even jump from tree to tree is huge. Their minds make up for those disadvantages. In other words, where they lack strength they make up for it with pure intelligence. An uncanny understanding of the workings of the world about them. They're smart. We are strong."

Deidara merely stared ahead, not replying to the pink-headed kunoichi's comment.

* * *

Callie bit her tongue, the forest blurring around her.

I must not waver... I must not waver...

At this point, only the thought that they wouldn't have any need for her or Krystal after they had gotten the information they needed kept Callie from spilling everything. She wanted- oh, how she wanted- to think that it was her own determination to save Naruto and Sakura that kept her from telling the hardened criminals in front of her everything they wanted to know, but that wasn't the case. At this point she had no thought about what would happen to the Konoha ninja, ninja she hardly knew despite spending hours watching on the television screen. If the desire to help them even existed at this point, it was buried deep in her mind, to an extent that it was practically forgotten. Why?

Instinct, that human instinct that fuels fear, that incredible fear that you have when someone is pressing a knife up to your throat or you hit a dead end had taken over. Now she merely thought of self-preservation. She felt like a trapped mouse- however unflattering that image may be- and the Akatsuki were the cats.

It was easy to imagine, too. While their being in this world had taken its toll, the Akatsuki still possessed that terrifying grace that all ninja had. When either of them moved their movements were sharp, deliberate. Inhuman. If Callie so much as twitched a hand their eyes unconsciously flicked towards the source of movement, assessed it for any sign of threat, and then resumed focusing on the matter at hand, all in a second's time.

When Kisame's sword arm moved, the muscles in his arm flowed smoothly. They were past the point of bulging and were now smooth, hard, and strung together like wires. Their appearances on the television screen- the way the illustrator drew them- were only slightly accurate. The depth of Itachi's eyes- those cold red eyes with black voids in them that seemed to lead into the pits of Hell itself- could not be portrayed with mere digital imagery. Kisame's sharp grin, his serrated shark's teeth, the jaggedness of the small scales that coated his entire body- it couldn't be drawn, nor described. Despite their comical appearances on the television screen- or Kisame's, anyway- these S-ranked criminals were far from funny or just remotely interesting characters meant to fill in some of the plot-line. They were terrifying.

Callie shuddered, her eyes closed, running her hand over her arm. Hot blood ran from the gashes. She jerked as Kisame struck again.

She was glad that she wasn't Krystal. Itachi himself had decided to speed up the process by taking over her interrogation. After a few minutes of nonstop slashing, he'd finally resorted to the use of his eye. Judging by the jerks and whimpers that came from behind, he was being merciless.

Finally it stopped. Callie let out her pent-up breath, sinking to the ground and clutching her wounds. Kisame's shark eyes were narrowed in irritation as he placed the sword back in its usual place.

"Itachi," he rasped, staring into the distance at something that Callie couldn't see. "The people who live in that house have returned. Should we just kill them and get back to interrogating, or leave to go somewhere else entirely?"

Itachie blinked and Krystal slumped to the ground as well, unconscious. He hadn't even drawn his kunai.

Somewhere in Callie's numb mind, the image of her baby sister popped into her head and she processed what she had just heard.

Just kill them? Kill Ellie? Kill Mom and Dad?

She glared at Kisame, lip quivering form the pain of sitting upright. "There's no need to touch them," she spat. "They wouldn't know what's happened. They don't know about Naruto and Sakura, why they're here, or anything. We kept it a secret from them."

Kisame's eyes glinted. "So are they your family, then? You love them, don't you?" He turned his head, glancing in the direction of the house. "I can see that little toddler. A child just beginning her life."

Suddenly he was there, face inches from Callie's. Her nose twitched. He smelled like a pile of fish.

"She's adorable. Absolutely adorable, isn't she? We wouldn't want that adorable little baby to be injured due to your stubbornness and refusal to share those scraps of information with us, yes? After all, handling this big sword might prove to be too much, and the child is so small... the wound could end up being fatal. And then what would you be? No better than a murderer. A criminal.

In other words, no better than you. Callie clenched her jaw. Blackmail! The lowest, dirtiest form of getting what you wanted. The heartless manipulation of others, threatening to take something away from them if they didn't do something for you... it was hardly something to encourage. And yet...

And yet...

* * *

Kisame watched as the emotions ran across the child's pallid face. Numbness was replaced by disbelief, horror, and fear. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. It was amusing. They were so inept at hiding their emotions that he could read them just as easily as if they were ink on paper. Easier, in fact.

He could have gotten her to crack eventually, but they were in a hurry- not to mention, it was no fun that way. He, like pretty much all of the Akatsuki, had lost any feelings of affection for other humans. Affection was a weakness. The love of others was a weakness. Hatred in itself was a weakness. They sickened him.

Watching it tear apart others from the inside, though, was downright hilarious.

"...You're lying. Even a criminal like you wouldn't use that method of getting what you want."

"Oh, I think I would."

"But she's just a baby!" the girl protested. Her eyes were wide with shock and disbelief- as well as confusion. Genuine confusion. In her mind, no one was capable of doing such a thing. Not the lowest criminal would dream of needlessly harming babies. It was dirty. Despicable. Unbelievable. To an extent her mind rejected the very idea. What human could be so cruel? How could someone do this?

So naive.

"You think I care?" he replied. "If you honestly want me to prove it to you, I can. Unless you'd prefer to tell me what I want to know and avoid all this pointless bloodshed."

Her nails dug into her palm, drawing blood, and she bit her lip. There were tears in her eyes- whether from frustration, anger, or the amount of pain caused by the interrogation, Kisame could not tell. He stood up again and stared down at the small figure, waiting for a reply.

"I... I..."

Callie stared at the ground, hating herself for what she was about to say.

"...Fine. I'll tell you everything. Just don't hurt my baby sister."

**So much pressure... . Please tell me if the characters are getting a little... well, out of character. I tried to make them as realistic as possible. Kisame's difficult, as I don't remember all that much about him. And if any of them start getting Mary-Sue/Marty-Stuish, please let me know. xD I'm trying to avoid it as much as possible, but it's hard to tell sometimes.**

**Anyway, yeah. Sorry this chapter was a bit short. -Cough-**

**Review, please! ^.^**


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